NIGHT MAGIC

A lyrical, fascinating story about exploring the secret world of darkness and the remarkable creatures within it.

In today’s hectic, digitally focused world, writes Henion, we have become too used to an excess of illumination: the unblinking screen, the persistent streetlight, the overbright room. Furthermore, we have lost a sense of the presence of darkness and an understanding of what happens there. The author explored this idea in her 2016 book Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World, but in her latest, she dives deeply into a world that is unknown to most readers. She begins with fireflies, which are plentiful in the mountains of North Carolina, where she lives, as well as glowworms and night-traveling salamanders. She chronicles her travels through her area and further afield, encountering guides and naturalists who are studying nighttime creatures. The animals and birds that come out at night can be difficult to spot, but Henion finds that her eyes and spirit can slowly adapt to the darker, more natural world. She also describes the plants that bloom under the moonlight, often with strange structures and rich perfume to attract moths and insects. In a striking chapter, the author examines the luminous fungi known as foxfire, which has a beauty all its own. She recounts her experience of making fire from natural materials as evening gathered and how she felt connected to the long line of humanity. There is a sense of renewal throughout, and she realizes the importance of occasionally escaping from the world of unrelenting, artificial light: “It is only by the power of light and the grace of darkness that we’re able to rest and rise, then rest and rise again.”

Henion writes with poetic grace, blending her journey of discovery with the natural wonders in our own backyards.